The conference center was only a short walk away from the hotel. Mary and Lex made their way over through the busy streets of downtown Washington. They were each sipping a takeaway coffee in silence.
Lex stole a glance at Mary now and then. She was trying to get used to how different Mary looked this morning. Her eyebrows had shot up when she had seen Mary step out of the elevator earlier.
Under her coat, the shop manager was wearing black slacks and a blue dress shirt. Her sneakers had been replaced by dark brown leather boots with a minimal heel. She had even put on some subtle make-up, Lex had noticed.
Mary looked professional and commanding. It was the look Lex had expected to see on a Leroy shop manager. She wasn’t sure if she was happy to see it on Mary, though.
Lex herself was wearing a grey blouse and dress pants with thin stripes. Her low-heel shoes were stylish but chosen for comfort. With Mary now sporting a dark business attire as well, Lex almost felt like she was back at her old job.
And she didn’t like it. It seemed she had started to appreciate a bit more color in her life. She would be reluctant to admit it out loud, but she enjoyed being in Mary’s company. The real Mary that is.
Lex took another sip from her coffee and glanced to her left again. Mary’s hair was firmly held in place by some sort of hairspray. Her cheeks looked pale. Everything was the exact opposite of what it had been earlier this morning.
Lex had been surprised to see Mary at the hotel gym. She had spotted her walking on a treadmill near the exit. Her hoodie had been at least one size too big. Her bright red sneakers had looked very out of place.
Lex had smiled and waved, a bit self-conscious because of her own appearance. Sweat was rolling down her back and her t-shirt would be more revealing than usual. But Mary’s eyes had been fixed on the built-in-screen of the treadmill and she hadn’t seen her.
After a moment, Lex had hesitantly walked toward the exit. When she was about to go say hi, Mary had frowned at the screen and increased her pace. It had made Lex feel like she would be interrupting.
So she had left the gym quietly and gone back to her room. She hadn’t been able to get the image of a disheveled Mary out of her mind since. There was something so disarming about Mary in that hoodie.
Lex wished she was still wearing it right now. She hoped Mary would run a hand through her hair and make it all messy again. She was even tempted to do it herself. Lex frowned at that thought.
“Is that it?” Mary asked, putting an end to Lex’s musings.
She looked up and saw the large, glass front of the conference center. “Yeah, we’re here.”
Mary frowned as she took in the building, but she didn’t say anything. Lex knew the Retail Experience Expo was a big deal to Mary. And yet there was no sign of enthusiasm on her face.
Lex couldn’t help but feel that it was her fault. If Mary were here with someone else, she would probably be having the time of her life. Lex could picture it easily: Mary chatting away with Karen or even Hannah.
“Maybe I should give her some space,” Lex thought as they walked up to the entrance. “Or try to seem a bit more excited.”
The sun bounced off the gigantic glass panes that formed the front of the conference center. It was to see where they had to go in. They quickly picked a random door and stepped inside.
“I think Suzy told us to register at the VIP desk,” Mary said as she started tapping her phone. She seemed to be warming up a little.
Lex looked around until she spotted a screen that said ‘VIP’ with an arrow pointing at a counter with a hostess under it.
“Right there,” she chirped and pointed enthusiastically. “Let’s go get our badges!”
“Okay,” Mary replied, doing her typical eyebrow quirk.
“What?” Lex asked, tilting her head.
Mary lifted her shoulders. “I don’t know. I thought you hated coming here.”
Lex shuffled her feet. “Okay. I guess I did at first, but …”
When Lex didn’t finish her sentence but tucked her hands in her pockets instead, Mary asked: “But?”
Lex inhaled deeply, summoning up the courage to give an honest answer. “I know this event is important to you and I want you to enjoy the experience.”
Mary’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. That wasn’t the response Lex had expected. She ran a nervous hand through her hair and babbled, “If you want, we can do separate tracks or something. That way, you can… ” She shrugged. “Do your thing?”
A second past before Mary burst out into a giggle. “Do my thing?”
Lex’s shoulders dropped and she looked away at nothing in particular. “I mean….”
“There’s only one keynote track today,” Mary interrupted her, grinning.
Lex kicked at something non-existent on the floor. “Oh, okay.”
“Guess we’re stuck together,” Mary said in a teasing tone.
She bumped her shoulder into Lex’s on her way to the VIP desk.
Lex touched her upper arm. She felt a smile tug at her lips as she hurried after Mary, much like she had yesterday afternoon at the hotel. Maybe today would be a better day, though.
*****
Mary’s had a spring in her step. “Who was your favorite speaker?”
Except for a short lunch and a five minute toilet break now and then, they had just spent the entire day listening to keynotes and panel discussions.
Lex searched her tired mind for a speaker that had stood out to her. “Eh,” she said, scratching the back of her head. “There were so many of them.”
“Yeah, the schedule was crazy,” Mary chuckled, stepping outside and holding the door for Lex.
Lex smiled in thanks. The cold air that hit her like a wall.
“Woah,” she gasped.
Mary rubbed her hands. “It sure is a lot colder than it was this morning.”
Lex tugged at her leather jacket, pulling its zipper all the way up. “I don’t mind. Just didn’t expect it.”
“Do you ever wear a proper coat?” Mary asked, adjusting the collar of her own winter jacket.
Lex looked up, hiding her hands in her pockets to keep them warm. “Yeah, of course.”
Mary looked unconvinced. “Haven’t seen you in one yet,” she said.
“I guess you haven’t seen enough of me yet then,” Lex quipped back and grinned.
Mary’s eyes widened and a blush crept up her neck. Lex realized, too late, her remark could be interpreted as rather flirtatious. Best to change the subject immediately.
“Are you hungry?” she asked, her voice a little hoarser than usual.
Mary met her eyes. Her cheeks were still flushed, but her gaze held an intensity Lex hadn’t noticed before.
“Starving,” Mary responded.
For a second, Lex didn’t know if Mary was talking about food. She lost herself in the hazel eyes that were fixed on her. Heat uncurled in her stomach. This was dangerous territory, Lex thought.
“I need an early night,” she said and quickly broke the eye contact. “Is it okay if we settle for the hotel bar?”
“Sure,” Mary replied.
“Thanks,” Lex said and started walking.
Mary fell into step with her. The traffic around them was busy and loud, but Lex hardly noticed it. Instead, she was hyperaware of the sensations in her body. They had taken her by surprise.
It was highly unprofessional to feel these things and very unlike her. Lex was extremely good at compartmentalizing people. She would notice when someone was attractive, of course, but she never dwelled on it. Until now.
“I don’t even know if she’s into women,” Lex thought. Not that it mattered. Mary’s love life was none of her business. Lex still couldn’t stop herself from wondering about it. She glanced sideways at Mary once more.
The hairspray had finally given up and Mary’s hair was back to its old, playful self. Lex focused on the single, silver earring. It was a delicate little ring and yet it gave Mary a bit of a tougher look.
Yeah, Lex definitely got *the* vibe from Mary. Then again, it could be wishful thinking. Mary hadn’t given Lex any reason to make her think she was anything but straight. And even if she wasn’t, who said she was single?
“Oh, stop!” Lex thought, “You shouldn’t care about any of this. Just a few days ago you thought this woman was stubborn and annoying, remember?”
Except Mary wasn’t that annoying after all. Lex could hardly remember why she had ever thought so. It was as if something had shifted. As if she had switched glasses and saw Mary in a new light.
Lex had caught herself studying Mary several times today. Seated next to each other in the auditorium, Mary had focused on every speaker with rapt attention. This had given Lex plenty of opportunity to take a close look at her.
At first, she had been amused by Mary’s expression. The corners of her lips had been curved upward almost non-stop. Every half hour or so, Mary raised her pen. She would lower it again as soon as she caught herself nibbling on it.
Despite the dark circles under her eyes, Mary had a youthful appearance overall. Lex saw that she had used a powder that reflected the light to make her face a bit brighter. It was subtle and yet Lex thought Mary didn’t need it.
Lex had also noticed that Mary tended to push up her sleeves before she started writing. The only jewelry Mary wore on her hands was the solid, silver band on one of her fingers. Was there a special someone out there after all?
“Hey, you’re walking fast again,” Mary said, pulling Lex from her thoughts.
Lex heard the breathlessness in her voice. The butterflies in her stomach stirred.
“I have a hard time keeping up,” Mary admitted, placing her hands in her sides.
“Sorry, ” Lex said, smiling apologetically. The teasing remark was out before she could stop herself. “You were walking so fast on that treadmill this morning I thought you’d enjoy a brisk pace.”
Mary opened her mouth in shock. It wasn’t real shock, though. Little flames of pleasure danced in her eyes. “So you *did* see me,” she said.
Lex grinned at her in triumph. “Ah, and here I was thinking *you* hadn’t recognized *me*!”
Mary’s cheeks went from slightly flushed to bright red in less than a second. She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head.
“Can’t believe I gave myself away so easily,” she sighed.
Lex felt her pulse pick up. “Why didn’t you say hi?”
Mary pursed her lips and averted her eyes. “You didn’t say hi either.”
“Okay, but you saw me first,” Lex insisted, tempted to poke Mary in the ribs.
“Okay, true,” Mary said, wrinkling her nose. “I guess I was too shy.”
“Shy?!” Lex laughed. “Why?!”
Mary rolled her eyes. “You’re making this as hard as you can, aren’t you?”
“What? No!” Lex replied, pulling at Mary’s sleeve, her hand brushing against Mary’s fingers. “Come on, why were you feeling shy?”
Mary stopped walking and met Lex’s gaze with that intense stare again. Her lips parted and Lex waited for what she would say with bated breath.
“I think you know why,” Mary finally said.